You can always tell when the Our Best Bites girls are stressed out because we tend to post a lot of sweets. I had excellent intentions of posting a quick and easy dinner today, but I was overcome by the temptation of Pretzel M&Ms, which are simultaneously the most glorious and the most horrific creation in the history of creations. I promise, I’ll post something healthy next week.
It seems like every fall, we start posting cereal and/or popcorn mixes. I’m not sure if it’s because of the hint of Halloween or the return of football and fall TV shows, but cereal mixes just feel right in the fall.
This one is a little different from ones we’ve posted in days gone by because it calls for brown sugar instead of white sugar. Which brings us to caramel. Which, when you combine with salty nuts and Pretzel M&Ms, leads to sad feelings when you step on the scale the next day.
First, line a baking sheet with waxed paper or aluminum foil and lightly spray it with non-stick cooking spray and set it aside.
Then, combine some graham cracker cereal (like Honey Grahams) with some honey roasted peanuts and some salted cashews or macadamia nuts in a very large bowl and set that aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine the brown sugar, Karo syrup, and a stick of butter (I told you this was bad) and bring it to a boil over medium heat. Continue boiling, stirring often, for 2 minutes (3 if you’re at a high elevation). When it’s done cooking, add a teaspoon of vanilla and stir to combine. Drizzle the caramel over the cereal mix and quickly stir the mixture to coat everything evenly. Transfer the mixture to the prepared baking sheet and allow it to cool for a few minutes, just to a point where the candy mixture has cooled but it’s not solid. Add the Pretzel M&Ms and toss gently to combine.
Allow it to cool completely (you can even pop it into the fridge to hurry things along) and then transfer it to a serving bowl or serve individual portions in small cups or cupcake liners.
Unfortunately, we cannot be held liable for the lack of snacky self control that will accompany the presence of this mix in your house. Sorry about that.
Sweet & Salty Caramel Snack Mix
Recipe adapted by Our Best Bites from Southern Living
6 cups graham cracker cereal (like Honey Grahams)
1 cup honey roasted peanuts
1 cup salted cashews or macadamia nuts
1/2 cup butter
1 cup firmly packed brown sugar
1/4 cup light Karo syrup
1 tsp. vanilla
3 cups Pretzel M&Ms (about 1 large bag)
Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or wax paper and lightly spray with nonstick cooking spray. Set aside.
Toss together the cereal and the nuts in a large bowl and set aside.
In a medium saucepan, combine the butter, brown sugar, and Karo syrup and cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it begins to boil. Allow to boil for 2 minutes (3 if you’re at a high elevation) and then remove from heat. Add the vanilla and stir until combined. Drizzle the caramel mixture over the cereal/nut mixture and stir quickly to combine. Transfer to the prepared baking sheet. When the caramel mixture has cooled but isn’t solid yet (just a few minutes), add the Pretzel M&Ms and toss gently to combine. Allow to cool completely before serving.
Questions & Reviews
Quick, easy and delicious! My son was “helping” me and added some water into my pre-measured M&Ms for me, so I had to sort through and gather all the water damage-less ones, so I only ended up using about 2 cups of them, but it still looked like it had plenty! Thanks Kate!
is Karo syrup… with the “pancake” syrup. Just want to save my self twenty mintues of wandering around the grocery store. Thanks!
Yep! In fact, I always think it’s going to be in the baking aisle and have to remind myself it’s with the pancake syrup! 🙂
A great snack for a game night, football party or when you have company visiting and want to set something out. I love the idea of individualizing them into cupcake liners. Anything for portion control, ha!
This looks delicious, but does it keep well for a few days or do you have to eat it all that day?
Definitely good for a few days. At first, it’s kind of gooey, which is awesome, but even though the texture kind of changes, it’s still DELICIOUS. 🙂
Definitely making this when we fly to Disneyland in a few weeks! Perfect to snack on during our little adventure!! By the way, love your blog and cookbook! Plan on getting your book for many people for Christmas this year!
Had some of this at a football party last night. It was yummy.
Made this version, then had to make another batch but ran out of the M&Ms. Added in regular pretzels and candy corn and it was really good too, and seasonal. I think you could throw just about anything in here and it would taste fantastic!
I am sorry that you are stressed..but I love the sweets!
I think you maybe need a warning sign in capitals for this mix. It is really good, thank you I think, my pant size may have just gone up. Love love your blog, it’s so much to read and so many wonderful things. You guys are great keep up the amazing job. Thanks for sharing your lives with us!
would love to print recipe with picture…….. but without comments??????